The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-10-08
SOME BAD BOYS OF BYBURY


Bybury village was quite famous, in
my day, for it's smart boy-about
dozen of them, pretty near of an age,
bright scholars good fellows geperally,
and wide awake for any enterprise.
There could be stories told about their
adventures, their camping out, their fish
ing and boating trips, their many doings
on land and water; but 1 was not there
to see. was not one Of them.
"Poor little Andyl' they called me, for
was cripple. Perhaps it was because
I could not run, nor climb, nor do any
thing, hardly, that I admired them the
more.
Fourth Of July was their great day, of
course; it is the boys day everywhere in
this land of freedom. They began it by
ringing certain church bell the moment
midnight struck, which was the signal
for all the little cannon to blaze out
There were six churches in Bybury, and
two of them had bells which these young
sters had christened "Liberty Bel" and
prohibition Bell" They were allowed
to ring the former just as much as they
pleased for that reason they did
not care anything about it; they were for
hidden to touch the other till sunrise of
the Fourth-and for that reason they
were determined to begin with it on the
midnight before; and they always man
aged to do it.
Their only opposer was Captain Mill
ken, who had no motive in the world for
the opposition, only once having said
that he did not want it rung, he was
bound to have his way-there are good
many such people. The boys liked the
old gentleman, but they determined
not to be beaten, and when You take
twelve boys against one man, you
may be sure that there's mischief
ahead. His only right of refusal was in
the fact that he was sexton, and also
owned more pews in the meeting house
than any other man. However, from
year to year the townspeople said, "Let
them ring 1t is better way to celebrate
than to use so much powder"
On this particular Fourth, Captain Mil
liken made great boasts that he had got
the doors and windows so securely fast
ened that the boys would have to give it
up. That being equal to challenge, no
boy of any spunk, and certainly no By
bury boy, would give it up. The even
ing before the Fourth there was mys-
terious gathering in an unoccupied house
near by; and to this rendezvous one of
the big boys, Tom Milliken, the Captains
nephew, carried me on his back. "Be-
cause" said he, I'VE want your help"
1t turned out that they all intended to
get about two hours sleep on some old
carriage. robes which they spread on the
floor, and at half-past eleven sharp 1 was
to call them and then wait orders.
1t was lovely night, warm, dewy,
starry, but SO still The villagers had gone
to bed early to have little repose before
the inevitable cannonading begun-they
always did at Bybury, for there was no
sleep after midnight it that neighborhood
till that set of boys had outgrown "cele-
brating." They seemed long hours to
me, for, trusting to my known waketul-
ness every boy of them had dropped off,
and sat curled up by window with
Toms watch in my pocket till the time
slipped by.
Punctual to the moment 1 had them
up; and after whispered consultation
they went out to try means Of ingress,
while L kept watch and was to signal if
any one approached.
SITS no good to try, for the Commo-
dore"-that was what they called him
'has been as good as his word. So now
for it I" said Tom, at last, and pulling off
his shoes and cap, he began to climb the
lightning-rod.
IL you do not know how the rods used
to be put up on meeting houses you
will not understand the foolhardmess OF
this proceeding. Instead of following
the walls of the building-in which the
risk would have been fearful enough
the rod descended slanting in mid-Rir
from the beltry, far out to the main
building, so that for long distance it
was out in space, swaying at the least
touch; then from the caves it run down
the side of the house, and then was sup.
posed to be secured firmly in the ground.
But this one had been broken of a yard
or more at the bottom, 80 it was rather
shaky and uncertain thing at the best,
besides constructed in pieces which were
hooked together in loose way. 1t was
rough and rusty, and about as large
round as a mans thumb. Such was the
ladder by which Tom Milliken proposed
to climb up to the high bell tower, on
the dark side of the church, with no
light to guide him except what came
from the stars.
TomsMilliken was not afraid of any